Apple is working on a platform that combines OS X and iOS to boost iPhone and iPad sales, according to J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz (via CNET). He believes that a combo operating system, which he has termed "iAnywhere," would work in tandem with an iOS device docked to a secondary display, running as a full-blown computer.

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"While not a new idea, our global tech research team believes Apple could be on the cusp of introducing a new category with iAnywhere, a converged MacOS-iOS operating system that allows an iPhone or iPad to dock into a specially configured display to run as a computer," Moskowitz said. "In our view, this category would be a leapfrog event, potentially jumpstarting iPhone and iPad growth as well as peripherals and cloud-based software and services sales."

Other PC and smartphone manufacturers have experimented with dual operating systems and other hybrid solutions. Samsung, for example, introduced the ATIV Q, an Ultrabook capable of running and switching between both Windows 8 and Android 4.2.2. Motorola experimented with a docking solution for its Atrix 4G phone, but no manufacturer has thus far combined a dock with a converged mobile/desktop operating system.

Motorola's Atrix Dock

Moskowitz believes Apple could introduce iAnywhere sometime in the next 12 to 18 months, but during a recent interview with Macworld, Apple executives Phil Schiller and Craig Federighi explicitly said that convergence between iOS and OS X was an "absolute non-goal" for the company.

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"To say [OS X and iOS] should be the same, independent of their purpose? Let's just converge, for the sake of convergence? [It's] absolutely a non-goal," Federighi said. "You don't want to say the Mac became less good at being a Mac because someone tried to turn it into iOS. At the same time, you don't want to feel like iOS was designed by [one] company and Mac was designed by [a different] company, and they're different for reasons of lack of common vision. We have a common sense of aesthetics, a common set of principles that drive us, and we're building the best products we can for their unique purposes.

While Schiller and Federighi noted iOS and OS X would share a common sense of aesthetics and design principles to make it easier for customers to switch between iOS devices and Macs, the two operating systems would remain distinctly "different in those things that are critical to their essence." Given the executives' strong stance on convergence, it seems unlikely the company has plans to debut the iAnywhere system Moskowitz has outlined.

It's amazing analysts have jobs because it seems like their only roll is to just think of thoughts that may or may not make sense, throw them at the wall and see what sticks. Pretty sure none of them have a better ration than say 1/37

If it were to happen the screen would just be an iPad with iPad internals with the base being an actual mac base with mac internals that way which ever one you choose to run it won't be an half assed experience like current hybrids. You could potentially also allow iOS mode when either docked or not and then OSX when docked. Also maybe a possibility of it flipping down on its self so that way when its on a table you don't have to worry about it being disconnected and it would allow longer battery in iOS mode.

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Originally Posted by linuxcooldude

Goes against Apple executives reiterating that convergence of iOS and OS X is a "non-goal" for the company.

While it's true that SJ said, on occasion, that Apple wouldn't do some business move or enter some category, only to do it shortly afterwards, this is one of those “grand scheme of things” stance that isn't about to change anytime soon (the fact that MS tried to do it and failed miserably should be proof enough of that).

I could, though, envision Apple introducing a larger iPad Pro with limited multitasking support (ŕ lá Windows 1.0 or LG's new GFlex android phablet, except with two vertically tiled apps when in horizontal mode), and even Magic Trackpad support (really, when you come to think of it, you can do all iOS-specific gestures on it).

But a full-on iOS/OS X merger? Get real!

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